Historic Cryptid Headline: January 8, 1923

Lima, Peru, Jan. 8. – The tidal waves which recently devastated parts of the coast of Chile cast upon the beach at the same time a strange denizen of the deep whose like has not been seen in these waters in many years. It would appear to be a cross between a whale and a turtle.

Fishermen at Lurin, 25 miles from Lima, reported a huge catcean floundering in the shallow waters of the bay. Then they sent out word it was an unknown monster of the sea, and that they had killed it.

The director of the Natural History Museum of the University of San Marcos and the official taxidermist made a trip to Lurin for the purpose of studying and classifying the strange visitor. They found an animal with the body of a whale, but with a head and extremities resembling those of a turtle. After examination they came to the conclusion that it belonged to the family of “Balaenidae” cetaceans, inhabiting the South Pacific waters and thrown up on the beach by the tremendous surfs following the tidal waves of the Chilean earthquake. The specimen will be brought back to Lima for mounting and will be preserved in the University Museum.

“Historic Cryptid Headlines” showcases actual articles involving cryptids that were published within United States newspapers back in the 1800’s-1900’s. The articles posted here are written exactly as they appeared during their original publishing date.